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Former Chelsea and Arsenal defender William Gallas believes the Blues will do everything in their power to convince Antonio Rudiger to extend his contract with the club. The German's contract with the Londoners is set to expire at the end of the season and he has thus far rejected the chance to extend his deal with the club.
Antonio Rudiger has developed into one of the best defenders in the Premier League since Thomas Tuchel was appointed as the Blues' manager in January 2021. He played a key role in the club's Champions League triumph last season and has continued his good form during the 2021-22 campaign. Rudiger has made 33 appearances and scored three goals in all competitions for the Blues.
The defender has, however, been unable to reach an agreement with the Londoners over a contract extension. The Premier League giants are believed to be unwilling to meet Rudiger's wage demands. Gallas believes the club are unlikely to let go of Rudiger as he has been 'very important' to the club. Gallas told The Sun:
"If you bring in another defender he has to be as talented and he has to understand the system, because it's not easy to play three at the back. Antonio has shown everybody how good he is. He has been very important for Chelsea for a long time."
"Chelsea will try everything to keep him. He gets forward very well, he scores goals. The most important thing is to defend very well, but at the same time support your midfielders and strikers. He does a great job at that. It's good to have a good midfielder and strikers but you need to have great, great defenders."
Antonio Rudiger had fallen down the pecking order at Chelsea under the management of Frank Lampard. The German has, however, managed to resurrect his career under Thomas Tuchel. His performances have caught the attention of a number of Europe's top clubs.
Chelsea will be desperate to persuade Antonio Rudiger to sign a new contract amidst interest from European giants
According to Sport Witness, Rudiger is believed to be demanding a wage deal in the region of £200,000-per-week. The Blues, on the other hand, are only willing to offer the 28-year-old £140,000-per-week.
The German has entered the last five months of his contract with the club. Reports have suggested he is keen to stay at Chelsea. Rudiger has, however, attracted interest from the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and PSG.
Real Madrid sold Raphael Varane to Manchester United last summer but were unable to sign an adequate replacement for the Frenchman. Rudiger's speed, physical nature and leadership qualities make him the ideal replacement for Varane at Real Madrid.
Bayern Munich, on the other hand, are bracing themselves for the departure of Niklas Sule. The club announced that the 26-year-old will not be signing a new contract with the club and will run down his deal, which is set to expire at the end of the season. The German giants could therefore look to replace Niklas Sule by signing Antonio Rudiger.
PSG chief Nasser Al-Khelaifi is rumored to be growing frustrated with Sergio Ramos' fitness issues. The 35-year-old has made just five appearances for the Ligue 1 giants since joining the club on a free transfer last summer. Mauricio Pochettino's side could attempt to sign Rudiger to replace Ramos.
